South Park creators slam new streaming deal after season 27 premiere delayed
The network announced Wednesday morning that instead of a July 9 premiere date, fans will have to wait until July 23. But fans have already been eagerly awaiting the new season for more than two years, leaving some, including Parker and Stone, fuming.
'This merger is a s***show and it's f***ing up South Park,' the creators said in a joint statement posted to the show's official X account. 'We are at the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.'
The merger in question is that of David Ellison's Skydance and Paramount Global, which is set to close by July 6 — though that could be extended.
But questions still remain around where the long-running animated series will be available for streaming.
Last week, the show's $500 million exclusive streaming licensing deal with HBO Max expired. Paramount Global, the parent company of Comedy Central — where South Park has aired since its 1997 inception — has long said they want the show to live on their streaming service, Paramount+.
However, the streaming rights to South Park have been shopped around to other companies, including Netflix and HBO Max parent Warner Bros. Discovery.
pic.twitter.com/gNwBAtjOh4
— South Park (@SouthPark) July 2, 2025
In the meantime, South Park remains available to stream on Max in an extension agreement reached during negotiations. The show did not premiere on Paramount+ on July 1 as previously anticipated. However, South Park is expected to be available to stream on the platform by the time the new season debuts.
Parker and Stone inked a deal with Paramount+ in 2021 for a reported $900 million to extend South Park through 2027 and renew the show on Comedy Central through season 30.
At the time, they said: 'Comedy Central has been our home for 25 years and we're really happy that they've made a commitment to us for the next 75 years.'
The drama surrounding season 27 comes months after the duo spoke about intentionally delaying it because of the 2024 presidential election.
'We've tried to do South Park through four or five presidential elections, and it is such a hard thing to do,' Stone told Vanity Fair in September 2024, adding: 'It's such a mind scramble, and it seems like it takes outsized importance.'
While he acknowledged that the election is 'obviously f***ing important', Stone said: 'It kind of takes over everything and we just have less fun.'
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